John Brown Jr. and Joseph Pullum are cousins.
Raised in Essex and fourth-generation members of the historic St. Stephens African Methodist Episcopal Church.
It's the oldest continuing serving church in Essex, founded a few years after the Civil War ended.
And served families living in pockets of Black communities in the Back River Neck area during segregation.
"Most churches you go and 'hi' and 'see ya later,' but here the people welcome you. It was just the friendly atmosphere when you came," says Pullum.
Now, the church sits at the cross-section of a community that's diverse both ethnically and economically.
The church reaches the people through a variety of programs, like its school and a weekly mobile health clinic.
Dr. Chris Burnett is the pastor of St. Stephens AME Church.
"To be the community hub for all needs. And that's what St. Stephens has always been, and that's what we look to or look forward to in the days to come," says Dr. Burnett.
St. Stephens is celebrating its 155th anniversary, and the vibrant congregation continues to grow.
Thanks to an influx of young families like Jamil Gaston's.
"I went through some things. I started over. I moved out here. I found a, um, church that needed me. That needed someone to run the youth department. That had skin in the game. I have five kids, so I'm very good with the youth," says Gaston.
Last year, the church started a second campus in Aberdeen.
"During the pandemic, including myself, there were a lot of Black families that moved out to Aberdeen and Harford County. I felt like there were some gaps in ministering to families that look like mine," Dr. Burnett says.
The church is also providing food, toiletries, school supplies, and other resources to students and their families in Harford County public schools.
"Trying to help people navigate life. And if there's a need that we can help, we wanna help. And that is what the church is. We are a helping agency, uh, that wants to help people to be better," Dr. Burnett says.
The church is holding special activities all year long for its 155th anniversary, including concerts and a homecoming celebration where they'll be inviting older members to come back and fellowship with the new generations.
